Election 2024: Rishi Sunak calls himself an ‘underdog’ at final campaign rally
Rishi Sunak has described himself as “this underdog” at his final Conservative campaign rally ahead of the polls opening this morning.
The Prime Minister spoke about his football team – Southampton FC – and referenced the club’s “relegation battles” in the 1990s.
And in a reference to his own fight in the polls with Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer, he pledged: “It is not over until the final whistle blows, and this underdog will fight to the final whistle, with your support”.
Sunak, who is battling towards election day with his party 20-points behind in the polls, reiterated his argument for voters to support the Tories to prevent a Labour “supermajority”.
He told activists gathered in Hampshire that they “only have a day left to save Britain from the danger of a Labour government”, and warned against “sleepwalking” into the election.
The former Chancellor insisted it would only require 130,000 votes to “deprive Starmer of that supermajority he so desperately craves”, adding: “We cannot surrender to Labour.”
While in Redditch, speaking in a former SureStart centre, Sir Keir stressed that there were “two different futures on the ballot box”, asking voters to “turn the page and start to rebuild our country”.
Starmer said: “We stand here on the eve of the election as a changed Labour Party… we are asking for the opportunity to change the country.”
He added: “Every vote has to be earned… imagine a different future on Friday morning. A Labour government elected in, the fourth time in history we will have come from opposition into power.”
The Labour leader repeated what he said were his “day one” priorities, including cutting NHS waiting lists and setting up GB Energy, as he pledged to enter government with his “sleeves rolled up”.